Chosen Chapter 15: We Have History
by Dozo14
Summary: Billie seeks to made amends with Darcy, though things get complicated when Darcy is possessed, causing Witch Doctors to become involved. Duncan investigates the mayor and discovers a dark secret from her past. Meanwhile, Violet and Arthur travel to ancient times to find a way to free the people of Atlantis.
1. Chapter 1

Chosen Chapter 15: We Have History

Xxx

While a light rain fell down from the skies, a happy Billie walked hand in hand with Nick under an umbrella. They had gone out for dinner and a movie, their first official date and pretty much the first normal thing they had ever done as a couple. Now that they had both admitted how they truly felt and there was nothing standing between them, it felt good to go on an actual date. It let Billie forget about all the magical madness around them for a moment and just enjoy being young and in love.

"This is nice." Billie said as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Good, I'm glad you had a good time." Nick replied.

"You mean didn't?" Billie asked with a frown.

"Is that a serious question after dragging me to such a chick flick?" Nick remarked.

"I liked it." Billie replied. "So are you saying this date wasn't fun?"

"No, I liked dinner." Nick said. "And I like spending time with you. Just let me pick the movie next time."

"Alright." Billie said. "As long as it's not some bad horror movie. We have enough of that in our lives already."

"Deal, then you can pick the restaurant." Nick agreed. "We're not going to become one of those boring couples, are we?"

"Us? Never." Billie said with a smile.

Billie kissed Nick as they continued walking. When they passed a coffee shop, Billie suggested getting some coffee. Just as they headed through the door, they nearly bumped into some people leaving the shop. When Billie looked at them, she saw it was Darcy and Hope. She instantly felt awkward and uncomfortable and quickly let go of Nick's hand. She had not seen Darcy since Nick had broken up with her a few days earlier. An awkward silence followed as Darcy glared at them.

"Hey." Hope said to break the silence.

"Hope, hi." Billie replied. "Darcy, how are you?"

"Are you serious?" Darcy asked as she crossed her arms. "You're asking me that after you just walked in here holding hands with him?"

"Look, Darcy…" Nick started to say.

"I have nothing to say to you." Darcy snapped at him. "I should have known you were bad news, but I expected more from you, Billie. I thought you were a good person."

"I'm sorry." Billie replied. "But none of us can change how we feel."

"That doesn't give you the right to cheat." Darcy said as she raised her voice, causing several people in the coffee shop to look at them. "You slept with my boyfriend while we were still together."

"We never meant to hurt you, Darcy." Billie said.

"Oh please, you were after him from the start." Darcy replied. "Just because you couldn't admit it, doesn't make it less true."

"Darcy, you're making a scene." Nick said. "I'm the one who cheated, not Billie."

"No, you both did." Darcy replied. "You are both horrible people and you deserve each other."

Darcy walked up to Nick and slapped him in the face before storming out of the shop. At that point, everyone was staring at them, much to Billie's embarrassment. Judging from the looks they were getting, it seemed that the casual observer was firmly on Darcy's side. The worst part was that Billie could not even blame them. Darcy was right, they had both cheated.

"That hurt." Nick noted as he rubbed his cheek.

"Sorry about that, she is still a little upset." Hope said.

"I completely understand." Billie replied. "I'm sorry. I know Darcy is your best friend, but I hope this doesn't affect our friendship."

"You're still my friend, Billie." Hope said. "But right now, I have to be there for Darcy. I think this will blow over in a little while. Just give it some time."

"Okay." Billie said reluctantly.

Hope smiled faintly and left the shop to chase after Darcy. With everyone staring at them, Billie suddenly lost her desire for coffee and dragged Nick out of the shop. Humiliated and a little upset, she began walking home. Their first official date had ended horribly and she just wanted it to be over.

"She will come around." Nick said. "We were never that serious to begin with."

"We still hurt her feelings." Billie replied. "Please tell me you at least get that."

"Of course, I'm not a complete idiot." Nick said. "She slapped me pretty hard though."

"You had it coming." Billie remarked.

"Yeah probably." Nick admitted.

When Billie and Nick reached the house, they stopped on the front porch as she searched for her keys. When Billie opened the door, Nick wanted to come inside with her, but she stopped him. Running into Darcy had killed the romance for the night.

"I think we'd better call it a night." Billie said. "I'm tired."

"Things between us are okay, right?" Nick asked. "You're not having second thoughts?"

"Of course not." Billie said. "It's just that the mood is kind-of ruined tonight."

"Okay." Nick replied. "I'll call you later."

Billie kissed Nick goodnight and headed inside. She put away her coat and kicked off her high heels. She felt bad for sending Nick away, but she could not forget about what happened with Darcy. She needed to find a way to make things right. When she entered the living room, she saw the others were still awake. Duncan and Nathan were cuddled up on the couch watching a science fiction movie, while Violet was reading a book in the chair next to them.

"You're back early." Violet noted as she saw Billie.

"Yeah, things ended on a sour note." Billie replied.

"Did my brother do something stupid again?" Nathan asked.

"No, we ran into Darcy." Billie said as she dropped down on the couch. "She screamed at us in a coffee shop. It was humiliating."

"Ouch, that sounds awkward." Duncan said as he paused the movie.

"Yeah." Billie said. "So let's just stop talking about it. What is going on here?"

"Well, I was planning on doing some research on the mayor…" Duncan said.

"But I decided that was boring and tried to get him to go out clubbing." Nathan added as he rolled his eyes. "We ended up settling for a movie."

"The mayor?" Billie asked. "Why?"

"I thought it would help to know more about her." Duncan said. "We're all focused on Ambrose, but the mayor was the one who created the virus. She could be just as big a threat. I want to find out why she hates magic so much. Maybe we can convince her it's not all bad."

"I think it's a good idea." Violet said. "Maybe we can resolve this whole thing peacefully."

"That would be great, but I'm skeptical." Billie noted. "She seems pretty determined to wipe us out and she doesn't seem the type to change her mind."

"Exactly." Nathan said. "So it's a waste of time."

"I'm going to do it anyway." Duncan said somewhat annoyed. "Just going to finish watching the movie first. It's pretty good."

"So what's going on with you, Violet?" Billie asked. "I haven't seen Arthur around for a while."

"No, me neither." Violet replied. "He has been working 24/7 to find a way to free the wizards of Atlantis. He wants to free them and learn about his culture. Plus he thinks they might be able to help us defeat his father."

"That would be nice." Billie noted. "After all, Ambrose is the real threat here."

"I know, but I wish Arthur would take some time off once in a while." Violet said.

"To spend time with you?" Billie noted.

"Does that make me a horribly selfish person?" Violet asked with a frown.

"No, it makes you human. And in love." Billie replied. "Arthur should spend a little less time obsessing about what he doesn't have and focus more on what he does."

"You think so?" Violet asked.

"Yeah, you should tell him right now." Nathan commented. "So we can finish our movie in peace."

"Huh, I guess being an ass really does run in the family." Billie remarked.

"Don't worry, I'm getting used to it." Violet said with a smile. "I was going to bed soon anyway. I'll go see Arthur in the morning."

"Yeah, I'm going too." Billie added. "I just want to shower, go to sleep and figure out how I'm going to solve this Darcy mess. I have to fix it somehow."

"Good luck with that." Nathan remarked.

Billie rolled her eyes as she and Violet headed upstairs, while Duncan and Nathan turned their attention back to the movie. After saying goodnight to Violet, Billie took a long, steaming shower. What Darcy had said kept playing in her mind. She was the one who did something wrong, so it was up to her to make amends. She needed to make peace, so they could all move on and be happy. The problem was that she had no idea how, or if Darcy even willing to forgive her.

Xxx

A few miles from Berkeley University stood a small centuries-old cemetery. As the rain continued to drizzle, two men appeared in the cemetery through a flash of orange light. Both were dark-skinned men dressed in sharp suits, one seemed in his late forties while the other was in his mid-twenties. The older man looked around cautiously to see if anyone had seen them, while the younger man was just annoyed with the mud getting on his expensive shoes.

"Let's just get this over with, Edgar." The younger man said.

"Be patient, Brandon." Edgar said. "This thing we're chasing is dangerous and elusive. We must not let it escape again."

Edgar reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small talisman with a skull figure on top. He shook it slightly as he held it up and closed his eyes. Brandon reluctantly followed him as he started walking across the cemetery.

"You know I have no interest in learning this stuff." Brandon said.

"It is your heritage." Edgar said. "Your father would have wanted me to teach you in his place. One day, you will be the head of our family."

"I will take over the family business, the club." Brandon replied. "This voodoo stuff doesn't suit me. I don't want to be a Witch Doctor."

"But you are." Edgar said strictly he turned to him. "You come from a long line of proud Witch Doctors. We have always safeguarded this world against evil spirits. It is our sacred duty to do whatever it takes."

"By any means necessary." Brandon replied annoyed. 'Yeah, I know. This is why voodoo has a bad name, you know. It's creepy and dark."

"To fight darkness you must embrace it." Edgar said.

"Until it kills you…" Brandon remarked distantly.

Edgar wanted to respond, but he was distracted by sounds coming from nearby. He held up the talisman and walked further. Suddenly he saw a pale glowing figure moving between the tombstones. It was a humanoid figure with long pale hair and a deformed, demonic face. It was floating around while making tortured wailing noises.

"Watch closely." Edgar told Brandon.

Edgar stepped forward and held out the talisman, firing a bolt of lightning at the ghostly figure. It screamed and wailed as the lighting surrounded it and began pulling it toward the talisman. A struggle ensued between the figure and Edgar, though the figure eventually managed to break free. It unleashed a wave of energy that knocked both men off their feet before floating away.

"Hurry, after it." Edgar said.

The two men jumped up and ran after the ghostly figure. It left the cemetery and faded away as it crossed the street. The two men stopped and looked around, but it was gone.

"Damn it." Edgar called out.

"What now?" Brandon asked.

"We need to track it down again before it…" Edgar started to say, though he fell silent as he heard voices coming closer.

Not wanting to draw attention to themselves, the two men went back to the cemetery and hid behind a small mausoleum. They waited and listened as two young women walked past them.

"Darcy. Wait." Hope called out as she hurried after her friend. "Let's just stop and talk."

"Please tell me you're not going to defend them, Hope." Darcy replied as she stopped and turned to face her.

"I'm not." Hope replied. "But we have to talk about this at some point, Billie is our friend."

"She is your friend, not mine." Darcy said.

"Then please don't put me in the middle." Hope said. "I don't want to have to choose between the two of you."

"Fine." Darcy snapped at her. "You won't have to choose. I'll do it for you."

Darcy turned and headed toward the cemetery. The Witch Doctors quickly faded away before she could see them and reappeared somewhere else behind some bushes.

"Darcy, this is crazy. Don't walk away from me." Hope called out. "Where are you going?"

"I'm taking a short-cut to my dorm room." Darcy replied casually. "Go home, Hope. I'm done talking about this."

"Fine. Call me when you're ready to be mature about this." Hope said annoyed before turning around and heading back the way she came.

Darcy took one last look at her friend and then continued across the cemetery. As she walked through the darkness with only her phone as a light, she felt a chill and rubbed her arms. Unknown to Darcy, the ghostly figure rose up from the ground behind her. Edgar raised his talisman in order to stop it. However, before he could, the figure leaped into Darcy's body and she fell down screaming. Brandon wanted to rush to her, but Edgar stopped him by grabbing his arm.

"We have to help her." Brandon called out.

"We can't, not right now." Edgar said. "It has taken possession and can only be expelled with the proper ritual. We need to prepare or else..."

Both men fell silent when Darcy got up from the ground and wiped the dirt off her pants. She picked up her phone and continued walking like nothing had happened.

"Or else what?" Brandon asked.

"Or it will kill her." Edgar said grimly. "You stay close to the girl and I will go to prepare the ritual. It will take time for the possession to take effect. Don't lose sight of her."

Edgar disappeared in a fading manner, leaving Brandon alone to look after Darcy. He quickly ran after her and followed her to the Berkeley campus. He knew hunting evil spirits was a bad idea. He wished he could abandon his so-called heritage and just focus on running his family's other business, the jazz club. Just good music, cool drinks and beautiful women. It was a much simpler life, with a lot less death involved. He just hoped that this would not result in another one of those tragic cases in his family's long and dark history.

xxx


	2. Chapter 2

Chosen Chapter 15: We Have History

Part 2

Xxx

The following morning, Billie woke up with a content and peaceful feeling. She had dreamt about being in another world, a world where her parents and sister were alive and well. A world filled with magic she had never seen before, where they were all happy and together. It was a dream unlike she had ever had before, as it had almost felt real. However, her peaceful feeling quickly faded when she remembered her own reality. She had fallen asleep agonizing over a way to make things right with Darcy, but she still had no clue how she could.

Billie got out of bed and looked at her phone. Nick had texted her to see if she was alright. She sent a quick message back that she was fine. She got dressed and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. As she walked past Violet's bedroom, she saw it was empty. It looked like Violet had taken her advice and had gone to talk to Arthur at Atlantis.

After finishing up in the bathroom, Billie headed downstairs and found Duncan asleep at the table with his head resting on his laptop. It looked like he had started his investigation into the mayor, though it didn't look like he had gotten very far. Meanwhile, Nathan had seemingly fallen asleep on the couch.

"Morning." Billie said loudly and cheerfully as she slammed her hand on the table, causing Duncan to shoot up with a startled expression.

"Billie, what the hell?!" Duncan called out annoyed. "Not funny."

"Wow, you actually have keypads imprinted on your face." Billie said smirking as she looked at him. "I guess the investigation did not go well?"

"Not really." Duncan admitted as he rubbed the side of his face. "I couldn't find anything."

"Seriously, what kind of detective are you?" Billie remarked.

"No, it's not like that." Duncan said. "I mean I could literally find nothing."

"What do you mean?" Billie asked.

"I mean that the mayor is too clean." Duncan explained. "I can't find a single piece of dirt. Her career has been perfect and I can't find a single mistake."

"That's weird." Billie said suspiciously. "Nobody is perfect."

"Exactly." Duncan said. "And even weirder is that I can't find anything about her past. No childhood or school, no personal life."

"Okay, now I'm starting to get interested." Billie admitted. "What is she trying to hide?"

"I don't know, but it might have something to do with why she hates magic." Duncan said. "She went to a lot of trouble to erase her past."

"So what are you going to do next?" Billie asked.

"We need to find out more, and if the internet can't help us, then perhaps her office can." Duncan said. "I think it's time for a little visit."

"Wait, you're talking about breaking into her office?" Billie asked with a frown. "Duncan, she is the mayor, that's a major crime."

"I'm not going to break in." Duncan replied. "I'm going to astral project in."

"It's still dangerous." Billie said.

"It's the only way." Duncan countered. "I'll take Nathan as back-up. He and his brother were professional thieves for years. We can handle it."

"We're doing what?" Nathan asked groggily as he finally woke up and turned around on the couch to look at them.

"We're breaking into the mayor's office." Duncan replied.

"Okay, cool." Nathan said causally after yawning loudly. "Sounds like fun."

"You guys are crazy." Billie noted. "I guess I can't talk you out of it, right? Just be careful and let me know if you need help."

"So what are your plans today?" Duncan asked.

"Well, I'm still looking for a way to make things right with Darcy." Billie admitted. "But so far I haven't been able to think of a way."

"I doubt there is a perfect way, Billie." Duncan said. "Even though you did not mean to, you really hurt her feelings. I think the only thing you can do is own up to your mistake and apologize."

"Do you really think it's that easy?" Billie asked.

"No, but I can't think of anything else either." Duncan replied. "I think she will forgive you in time."

"I hope so." Billie admitted. "I'll go visit her at her dorm."

"At Berkeley University?" Duncan asked.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Billie asked.

"Well, I checked the mayor's schedule." Duncan said. "The reason we're breaking in today is because she is giving a speech there today for potential scholarship grantees."

"Great, just what I need, another encounter with the mayor." Billie said as she rolled her eyes. "That will be fun."

"At least you will be able to keep an eye on her." Duncan said.

"Sure, I can do that." Billie said. "Just promise that you'll be careful. We can't have one of the Chosen in jail when Ambrose decides to make his next move."

"Got it." Duncan replied. "I need to get ready. I'm going to go take a shower."

"I'll join you." Nathan said as he rose from the couch.

"Remember to be careful at the mayor's office." Billie said as the two of them headed up the stairs. "And call me if you need help."

Billie turned around and headed to the kitchen. She hoped they weren't getting themselves in trouble, but she started to agree that the mayor needed to be investigated. If she had gone through so much trouble to hide her past, there had to be reason. As much as she wanted to help, Billie had her own issues to deal with first. She quickly grabbed some fruit for breakfast and headed out. Duncan was right, she needed to confront things head-on and apologize to Darcy.

Xxx

As a swirling blue portal opened from Magic School, Violet stepped onto the rocky shores of Atlantis. Seeing the ruins of the once beautiful city always made her a little sad. So much history had been lost there, all due to a freak accident. Worst of all, the accident set off a chain of events which almost decimated the entire wizard race. Violet could understand Arthur's desire to save his people, especially since his own father was an evil monster. Arthur wanted to be among the wizards he had read so much about, the good and noble kind.

Violet remembered the vision Ambrose had shown them. The prince of Atlantis saw the destruction and turned his people to stone in order to protect them. He had hoped the other Wizard cities would come to his aid, but they were never able to. Arthur had been trying to find a way to free them for weeks now. Although she supported him, Violet also missed him. She wanted to spend time with him, not just for her sake, but his own as well. Arthur had a tendency to get obsessed with things that were important to him. If he did not find a way to relax, he would drive himself crazy.

Violet entered the courtyard in front of the grand tower and found several colorful tents spread out. Several Magic School students were doing research while being led by Ben McDowell, a teacher and friend of Arthur.

"Violet." Ben said as he noticed her approaching. "What a nice surprise, Arthur didn't tell me you were coming."

"That's because he doesn't know." Violet said. "I need to talk to him."

"I can pretty much guess what it is about." Ben replied. "He definitely needs a break."

"So you've noticed." Violet said. "I came to talk some sense into him. Hopefully he will listen."

"I'm sure he will." Ben said. "As long as you're the one to tell him."

"Thanks." Violet replied with a smile. "So what is going on here? Why are these students here?"

"Field practice, so to speak." Ben said. "These students are all part of Arthur's advanced history class. They wanted to help and we decided it was a good teachable moment. There is so much to learn here."

"But is it safe for them here?" Violet asked.

"Definitely." Ben replied. "We made sure to keep them away from anything potentially dangerous."

"Good, I can only image what kinds of powerful artifacts the wizards had lying around." Violet said. "So where is Arthur?"

"He is inside the tower, with the statues." Ben said. "As always."

"Have you made any progress?" Violet asked concerned.

"No, not yet. Every spell and potion we tried so far has failed." Ben replied. "We know they are still alive inside the stone, but there is no way to free them. Arthur blames himself."

"It must be hard for him." Violet noted. "I'll go talk to him."

"Good luck." Ben said.

Violet nodded and walked toward the tower. When she entered it, she found Arthur standing in the grand hall, surrounded by the petrified wizards. He was busy writing something in a journal and did not notice her entering. He looked tired, as if he had not been sleeping enough for days.

"Maybe this one." Arthur mumbled to himself and he started casting a spell in a strange and probably ancient language. When nothing happened, he threw the journal away and it landed right in front of Violet.

"Oh god, I'm sorry, I didn't see you." Arthur quickly said when he noticed her.

"It's alright." Violet replied as she picked up the journal. "Looks like you need a break. And some food along with it."

"I'm alright." Arthur said.

"Really?" Violet asked with a frown. "Because it looks like you're neglecting yourself in order to solve this."

"I'm the only one who can." Arthur said defensively.

"That doesn't mean that you have to drive yourself insane." Violet replied. "You can't spend all your time in the ancient past. You have a life in the present."

"They've been waiting to be freed for centuries." Arthur argued.

"I know this is difficult." Violet said. "But maybe taking a break is a good thing. Rest and clear your mind for a moment. Maybe new ideas will come naturally."

"Maybe you're right." Arthur replied. "I'm starting to get tunnel vision."

"Good, I brought us breakfast." Violet said as she opened her bag and revealed some sandwiches. "It's tuna. Your favorite."

"How did you know?" Arthur asked with a smile.

"Please, I think I know a little bit about you." Violet replied. "We are dating after all."

"Yeah. And I've been pretty neglectful, haven't I?" Arthur said a little ashamed. "I've been spending all my time here and not with you."

"Look, I know this is important. I support you, but I'll admit it's also frustrating." Violet said. "I miss you."

"I miss you too." Arthur said quickly.

"I'm glad to hear that." Violet replied. "So let's get some fresh air and eat."

Arthur nodded and he took her hand as they headed outside of the tower. They walked down to the beach and sat down on a large rock to enjoy the sun and the slight breeze. The island truly was beautiful, even as a ruin, so Violet could only image how it looked before. It must have been a paradise for the people who lived here.

"So have you learned anything new?" Violet asked. "About the people who lived here?"

"Yeah, I discovered a lot actually." Arthur replied. "We found some records that were preserved by magic. It told us a great deal about the city and its people, including the royal family."

"Like the prince." Violet noted.

"His name is Emyr." Arthur said. "He was meant to take the throne after his mother and grandfather before him. The family history is quite amazing. Every wizard city had its own royal family, but they all descended from the high king, Magnus."

"Wait, as in the Staff of Magnus?" Violet asked. "The staff your father has?"

"Exactly. The eldest and most powerful wizard in existence." Arthur explained. "His children founded the wizard cities all over the world, including Atlantis."

"And Emyr is his great-grandson?" Violet asked.

"Yes." Arthur said. "Magnus' eldest son Neptune founded Atlantis. After his death, he was succeeded by his daughter Cressida, Emyr's mother."

"Neptune." Violet repeated. "Like the Roman god?"

"Not all gods in mythology are actually divine beings." Arthur replied. "Most were just extremely powerful beings that were only worshipped as such."

"I know." Violet said. "So did you find anything that could help us free the wizards? Or stop your father?"

"Not yet." Arthur replied. "But Ben and the students are still looking. I just wish we could free Emyr and the others so we could ask them."

Violet fell silent, as she wanted to say something to comfort him, but could not find the words. They had already tried everything to free the wizards from their stone prison. They could not tell them anything right now. Suddenly a realization came to her, there was a way to ask the wizards for help, just not in the present. She was given the ability to travel through time for a reason, right?

"What if we go ask them?" Violet asked.

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked with a frown.

"I mean go back and ask them." Violet said.

"What? No, Violet, we can't." Arthur said. "We can't alter the past."

"We don't have to." Violet said. "All we need is to know how to reverse the petrification. We won't impact the timeline if we just retrieve some information."

"But still…" Arthur said hesitantly.

"Arthur. I have this special destiny, right?" Violet reasoned. "What if I am meant to help you free the people of Atlantis, to find a way to stop Ambrose? Isn't it worth finding out?"

"Of course." Arthur replied. "Are you sure about this?"

"No, but I have to try." Violet said.

Violet took Arthur's hand and closed her eyes. She focused on the time and place she wanted to go and then opened her eyes again. They were surrounded by a flash of white light as everything around them disappeared for a moment. When the flash of light faded, they were sitting in the same place. Violet wondered if something had gone wrong.

"Did it work?" Violet asked.

"Yeah, it did." Arthur said amazed as he looked behind them.

Violet followed his gaze and turned around. The city of Atlantis was in front of her, untouched by the magic that had destroyed it. The white towers were tall and majestic and she could hear the sounds of its people going about their business like any other day. Violet stood up to get a better look, but she suddenly felt exhausted and dizzy.

"Are you okay?" Arthur asked concerned.

"Just dizzy." Violet replied. "Why do you look so worried?"

"Your nose." Arthur said.

Violet frowned and wiped her nose with her sleeve. When she looked at it, it was covered in blood. She wondered why her nose was suddenly bleeding, though before she could think of an answer, her exhaustion overwhelmed her and everything went black.

Xxx


	3. Chapter 3

Chosen Chapter 15: We Have History

Part 3

Xxx

When Billie arrived at Berkeley University, she saw a large crowd of people had gathered on the school grounds. She was handed a flyer by one of the students and looked at it. Just like Duncan said, the mayor was giving a speech for potential scholarship grantees, but there were also tours and activities for all new students. Back when Billie was deciding what college she wanted to go to, Berkeley was high on her list, but then she discovered her magic and her life took a different turn. She was more interested in magic than her studies, so Berkeley was no longer an option.

"Billie!" A familiar voice sounded.

Billie looked around to find whoever was calling her and she saw two friendly faces coming in her direction, Paige and Tyler. They were probably here for the open day as well, since Tyler was wearing a Berkeley cap and Paige was holding various flyers and brochures. When they reached her, Paige gave Billie a warm hug, as they had not seen each other in months. Tyler awkwardly smiled at her, making it pretty obvious that he still had a little crush on her.

"Hey guys." Billie said.

"What are you doing here?" Paige asked.

"That's a long story, but I'm here to visit Darcy." Billie replied. "Short version is that we're not exactly on good terms right now."

"Oh honey, I'm sure you'll work it out." Paige said.

"So do I even need to ask what brings you here?" Billie asked as she pointed at the flyers Paige was holding.

"I guess not." Paige replied. "Tyler has been working really hard in school and he is up for a full scholarship."

"Really, wow, that's amazing, Tyler." Billie said happily. "Congratulations."

"It's not set in stone yet." Tyler replied with a shrug. "The only reason they're even considering me is because of the whole foster care thing."

"That's not true, Tyler. You worked hard for this and you deserve it." Paige said sternly. "Besides, we would have never been able to afford a college like this otherwise."

"I wouldn't let you pay for it anyway, you've done enough already by taking me in." Tyler replied.

"Don't even go there, you know Henry and I love you." Paige said. "You are part of the family, so you are going to get this scholarship and get a great education."

"I guess..." Tyler said a little flustered.

"So speaking of family, how is everyone? Your sisters?" Billie asked in an attempt to change the topic, taking some of the pressure of Tyler.

"Everyone is doing great." Paige replied. "We all miss you, you should stop by more often."

"I know." Billie admitted. "I want to, but this whole Chosen stuff keeps me busy and I don't want to bother you with it. You're retired after all."

"Ugh, can you please not use that word, it makes me sound so old." Paige remarked with a frown.

"Okay, and I promise I will come by soon." Billie said with a smile.

"You know Phoebe is pregnant again, right?" Paige noted.

"No, I hadn't heard." Billie said surprised. "That's fantastic. Now I definitely need to visit."

"Okay, as much fun as this pregnancy talk is, I think we need to get going." Tyler said. "We don't want to be late for the mayor's speech."

"You're going to the speech?" Billie asked carefully.

"Of course, it's part of why we came." Paige said. "Don't worry, we know about her whole secret vendetta against magic."

"Okay, just try not to draw attention to yourselves." Billie replied. "And could you do me a favor? Can you send me a text the moment she leaves?"

"Why?" Tyler asked.

"Look, I don't want to involve you any more than I've already have." Billie said. "Can you just do this for me? It's important."

"We will, don't worry." Paige replied.

"Great, thanks." Billie said. "Now I have to talk to Darcy."

"Good luck." Paige said with a supportive smile. "Whatever is going on between you and Darcy, I'm sure you will work it out. And remember, we're always here for you if you want to talk."

"Thanks." Billie replied as she hugged Paige.

"It was good seeing you, Billie." Tyler said.

"You too, hope things work out with the scholarship." Billie replied.

"Thanks." Tyler said. "See you later."

Paige and Tyler headed toward the main building on the University. It was good to see them again, especially with everything going on. Billie was glad that Tyler was in a good place and had a bright future ahead of him. He deserved it after everything he had been through.

When they were out of sight, Billie turned and headed the opposite direction to the dorms. When Billie reached them, she headed upstairs. As she arrived on Darcy's floor, the lights in the entire hallway started to flicker. A moment later, a terrified scream sounded through the hallway. Thinking someone was in danger, Billie ran toward the sounds of the scream.

When she arrived at the right door, she was shocked to discover it was Darcy's room. Without thinking, Billie flung her arm and telekinetically opened the door. Darcy was floating in the middle of the room, screaming, while everything in the room was trembling. When Billie stepped into the room, the lightbulb in the ceiling exploded.

"Darcy!" Billie called out.

"Billie!" Darcy screamed. "Help me!"

Billie ran to Darcy and levitated to grab her arm. The moment they touched, a wave of energy knocked her back and sent her flying into the wall. At that moment, a dark-skinned young man came running into the room.

"Who the hell are you?" Billie asked.

"No time to explain." The young man replied. "We need to stop this thing before it takes control completely."

The young man reached into his shirt and pulled out a skull-like talisman hanging around his neck. He held up the talisman and started chanting in a foreign language. Darcy let out a horrifying wail and for a moment, her face changed into something demonic. The young man continued chanting and the wailing lessened. After a few moments, Darcy fell onto the bed and everything stopped trembling. Her face returned to normal and it looked like she had fallen asleep.

"That should keep it quiet for a while." The young man said before he turned to Billie and offered her a hand. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Billie replied as she rejected his hand and got up on her own. "Now do you mind telling me what the hell is going on with my friend?"

"You have no idea what you're dealing with." The young man said.

"Try me." Billie replied defiantly. "Judging from that talisman, I'd say you're a Witch Doctor. You hunt evil spirits, so I bet that Darcy has been possessed by some kind of creepy ghoul-thing."

"You're a witch." The young man said. "I should have guessed, the name is Brandon Miles. We're on the same side here."

"Maybe." Billie replied. "I know better than to trust you blindly. What happened to Darcy and how are you involved?"

Before Brandon had a chance to explain, two men in black suits entered the room with their guns drawn. Billie raised her hand to fend them off, though she stopped when a third person entered. For some unexplained reason, Billie suddenly found herself standing face to face with the mayor.

Xxx

When Violet woke up, she was in an unfamiliar place. She was lying in a large bed with soft white sheets, dressed in a dark blue nightgown. The room was of white marble with beautiful decorations and tropical plants. She felt a warm breeze and could smell the ocean. For a moment, she thought she was dreaming, but then she realized that she and Arthur had traveled back in time. She had felt exhausted and her nose was bleeding, then she passed out. She quickly looked around, but Arthur was nowhere in sight.

Violet got out of bed and still felt a little weak in her legs, so she grabbed onto one of the bedposts. She slowly headed to the open window and looked outside. The city of Atlantis was before her with nothing but sea behind it. It was beautiful, though she couldn't enjoy the view without knowing what was going on. Was she being held captive here? And where was Arthur? She looked around for her clothes, but they were gone.

When the door opened, Violet grabbed a small statue from a table and held it up like a club, ready to defend herself. A beautiful woman with tanned skin and long black hair entered the room, dressed in a modest but beautiful light blue gown. Though she was likely immortal, she looked around the same age as Violet. She was followed by Arthur, who was wearing a white vest and brown pants. She was relieved to see he was alright.

"You can put that down, Violet." The woman said. "Nobody here is going to hurt you."

"Sorry." Violet quickly said as she put down the statue. "I'm confused."

"Faiza found us on the beach after you had passed out." Arthur explained. "She took us to a safe place and took care of you."

"What happened to me?" Violet asked.

"You overused your power of time travel." Faiza explained. "It is a rare and powerful gift that should be used lightly. It takes a toll on your physical wellbeing."

"How do you know this?" Violet asked concerned. "That we're not from this place? About my powers?"

"You should sit down and rest." Faiza said as she closed the door. "I will tell you everything, just like I did to Arthur before you awoke."

"She is right." Arthur said. "Don't worry, we can trust her."

Although she was hesitant, Violet decided to trust Arthur and sat back down on the bed. Faiza walked to the table and waved her hand, causing a pot of tea and cups to appear through a swirling blue light. She poured the tea and handed a cup to Violet. It tasted very herbal and somewhat bitter for Violet's taste.

"It will help you recover." Faiza explained as she and Arthur both sat down in a chair.

"Thank you." Violet replied. "Can someone please explain what is going on?"

"Of course." Faiza said. "You must be wondering why I am not more surprised by visitors from the future. It is because we share a gift, Violet. We can both see through time. I have foreseen your arrival long ago, so I was waiting for you."

"Do you know why we're here?" Violet asked nervously.

"I do not know the details and I believe that I do not want to know." Faiza replied somewhat saddened. "I have long sensed that something terrible is coming to our people, but I must not alter the course of fate."

"Then why help us?" Violet asked.

"Because I must fulfill my part, otherwise I would not have foreseen your coming here." Faiza explained.

"Who are you exactly?" Violet asked.

"My name is Faiza, I am one of the councilors of Queen Cressida, the ruler of Atlantis." Faiza replied. "I was trained from a young age to advise the royal family with my visions."

"Doesn't it go against your job to help us then?" Arthur asked. "Don't you have to warn the royal family about what is coming?"

"I must admit I am conflicted, but I believe you are here for a reason." Faiza said. "I must believe that following this path is the right choice."

"It must be a burden to live with this knowledge." Violet said.

"You have the same gift." Faiza replied. "You understand this burden, especially since you are a child of Destiny."

"I'm not even sure what that means yet." Violet admitted. "I'm still figuring things out."

"Of course." Faiza replied. "But you decided to come here, so I will help you. What is it that you hope to find?"

"Answers." Arthur said. "Something will happen to your people, but we have been given a chance to save them in our time. We just don't know how."

"Perhaps you will find the answers you seek at the academy." Faiza replied.

"The academy that trains witches?" Violet asked shocked. "It's open?"

"Of course." Faiza said. "We have welcomed witches to expand their knowledge here for years now. Queen Cressida opened the academy herself."

"We must go there." Arthur said.

"I will guide you." Faiza replied. "And I can cast a spell to prevent anyone from discovering your true identities."

Violet nodded and smiled as a way to thank Faiza. She hoped they would find a way to free the wizards of their stone prison, otherwise this visit to the past would only be a painful reminder of everything that had been lost.

Xxx

In the present, Duncan and Nathan arrived near San Francisco City Hall through the use of a teleportation potion. They were planning to join a tour of city hall as tourists, then find a quiet place where Duncan could astral project into the mayor's private office. Since there was nothing he could find online, he just hoped that a few of her secrets could be uncovered there.

"Are you sure about this?" Nathan asked quietly as they passed security on their way inside. "This place is heavily guarded."

"I doubt they are prepared for an astral burglar." Duncan replied. "Besides, what other choice do we have?"

"We could try to follow her and find her private residence." Nathan said.

"Her house will be just as well-guarded." Duncan replied. "Plus she could have some magical defenses there, which would stand out too much here."

"Good point." Nathan admitted.

After getting tickets for the tour, Duncan and Nathan joined a group of tourists and took part of the tour through the building. Once they were close to the mayor's private office, they snuck away and hid in a public restroom. Nathan locked the door while Duncan sat down and conjured a blueprint of the building in his hand.

"Her office is right here." Nathan said as he pointed it out on the blueprint.

"Got it." Duncan replied.

Nathan smiled and kissed him for good luck before standing guard at the door. Duncan closed his eyes and focused on where he wanted to go. His body slumped over against the wall. His astral form appeared in the mayor's office in an orange glow. As suspected, it was empty since the mayor was at the university. Duncan sat down at her computer and tried to access it, though it was password protected. He instead went through several cabinets, but they were all filled with official files, nothing personal.

"Come on, there has to be something." Duncan whispered as he looked around.

Duncan was about to give up when he noticed a painting on the wall opposite from him. In movies, there was always a secret vault behind them. He got up and walked over to move the painting. He nearly laughed out loud where there actually was a vault. He guessed watching movies was good for some things after all. There had to be something of value in there, though the problem was that he needed a thief to open it. Astral projecting into the office was one thing, but sneaking in physically was a whole other matter.

xxx


	4. Chapter 4

Chosen Chapter 15: We Have History

Part 4

Xxx

Arthur could not believe his eyes as they walked through the streets of Atlantis along with Violet and Faiza. It was like a life-long dream had come true at last. He was among his own kind. The culture was beautiful and serene. Wizards of all ages were living their lives in peace while magic was used freely and publicly all around them. Despite it being ancient times, the city seemed advanced far beyond its time. It was tragic to realize all of this would soon come to an end. Most of these people would be killed in the blast, while the few survivors will be turned to stone for at least millennia.

"I know what you're thinking." Violet said as she took his hand. "You have that pained look on your face."

"We can't save all these people." Arthur admitted.

"No, we're not meant to." Violet replied. "But we can still save those who were turned to stone. Their culture will not be lost. They can rebuild with your help. Focus on that."

"I'll try." Arthur said, though he felt a strong wave of guilt as two little girls ran past them while playing with colorful floating spheres.

"We are getting close to the academy." Faiza alerted them.

"Are you sure it's alright for us to be out and about like this?" Violet asked.

"Of course, I cast a spell to hide your identities." Faiza replied. "To everyone here, you are just two strangers visiting from another wizard city. Even your faces are no longer your own."

Arthur frowned and looked at Violet. She still looked like herself, but perhaps the magic worked differently. He walked over to a fountain and looked at his reflection in the water. Instead of looking at himself, he saw a stranger. Violet joined him and her reflection looked different as well.

"That's so weird." Violet said as she touched her face.

"I prefer the real you." Arthur said.

"Thanks, the feeling is mutual, though your reflection is also very handsome." Violet replied with a smile.

"Very funny." Arthur replied.

"We should hurry along." Faiza said, interrupting their little banter. "I have other duties to attend to and the queen will not be pleased if I am late."

"Sorry." Violet said quickly.

Arthur and Violet followed Faiza through a marketplace and Arthur wished he could stop and look around. It was fascinating to see it all. Aside from the obvious fruit and clothing, there were also potions, art and magical devices of which he could only guess the function. As they left the market, the academy came into view on the edge of a cliff. It was a large white building with several towers supported by pillars, making it seem as if it was floating over the sea. It was more impressive than Magic School and looked bigger.

"It's beautiful." Arthur said.

"Yes, it is quite spectacular." Faiza replied.

Faiza led them to the entrance of the academy. Just as they reached the large wooden doors, they swung open. Two armored wizards left the academy, following by a young man wearing a circlet and a dark blue cape. Arthur froze, as he recognized the young man's features. He had been staring at his statue for weeks now, prince Emyr. The prince seemed to notice them and headed over, following by his bodyguards. Faiza took a bow as he arrived and Arthur and Violet quickly followed her example.

"Your royal highness." Faiza said.

"Hello Faiza." Emyr replied with a friendly smile. "What brings you to the academy? And who are your guests?"

"These are travelers from another great city, your highness." Faiza replied. "I was asked to show them to the academy."

"Welcome to Atlantis, travelers." Emyr said. "I am prince Emyr."

"It is an honor to meet you, your highness." Arthur replied. "We have heard much stories about the great Atlantis and it is quite beautiful."

"That's very kind of you." Emyr said. "Now if you will excuse me, I am expected elsewhere."

"Your mother also asked me to remind you about your other obligation today. Dinner." Faiza said as she looked down at the ground. "With all due respect."

"Great, another boring dinner with my mother playing royal matchmaker." Emyr said annoyed. "What does love have to do with marriage anyway?"

"Please don't let your mother hear, you highness." Faiza said. "She is quite determined to announce an engagement as soon as possible."

"Of course she is." Emyr remarked. "I hope you will be there at least."

"I… I'm sorry?" Faiza asked a little flustered.

"Then there will be at least one friendly face at the table." Emyr replied with a smile.

One of the bodyguards tapped the prince on the shoulder and signaled him that it was time to leave. Emyr nodded and followed his guards into the city. When they were gone, Faiza turned to Violet and Arthur and still had a slight blush on her face. Violet smiled at her attempt to remain serious.

"We should get going. We have wasted too much time already." Faiza said.

"How long has that been going on?" Violet asked.

"I'm not sure what you mean." Faiza replied.

"You and the prince." Violet said. "You like each other, right?"

"What? That is ridiculous." Faiza called out embarrassed. "He is a member of the royal family. I'm not of noble birth, I'm merely a counselor. We just had the same tutor in etiquette, so we spent a lot of time together when we were younger."

"So you can't be with him because he is royalty?" Violet asked with a frown.

"That's how these things work, Violet." Arthur replied. "Each society has its own rules and customs. We should not got involved with stuff like that. You're making Faiza uncomfortable."

"I'm sorry." Violet said. "It just doesn't seem fair."

"Thank you." Faiza replied to Arthur with a nod.

Faiza led Arthur and Violet into the academy building and to the grand library. Arthur's eyed widened when they entered it, as he had never seen such a collection of books in his life. He wondered if there had ever been a larger collection of knowledge. The answer to freeing the wizards had to be in one of these books, otherwise Arthur wasn't sure it even could be done.

Xxx

In San Francisco City Hall, Nathan was still standing guard in a public restroom while Duncan's unconscious body was slumped against the wall. He hoped that Duncan's astral form would return soon, because he was not sure how long he could stay without raising suspicion. He understood why Duncan wanted to investigate the mayor, though he doubted if she was really stupid enough to leave incriminating evidence in her own office.

Nathan froze when there was a knock on the door. "Open up!" a burly voice sounded from the other side of the door.

"It's occupied." Nathan replied.

"I know, Nathan." The voice said. "Now hurry up and let me in."

Nathan frowned and wondered why the voice knew his name. He carefully opened the door and peeked outside. A heavyset guard with a short trimmed beard stood in front of him. Before he could protest, the guard pushed the door open and came in.

"What do you want?" Nathan asked defensively.

"Nathan, it's me." The guard replied as he closed the door. "I'm astral possessing the guard."

"Duncan?" Nathan asked with a frown. "What are you doing?"

"I need to get you inside the mayor's office." Duncan replied through the guard. "There is a vault there that I need you to open."

"What makes you think I can open a vault?" Nathan asked.

"You're a thief." Duncan replied. "You must have some kind of trick up your sleeve."

"Maybe I do." Nathan admitted. "But I decided that I want to put that part of my life behind me."

"This is for a good cause." Duncan said. "There has to be something in there."

"Alright, so how do you want to play this?" Nathan asked. "Even if you are possessing a guard, it will still look weird if we just walk into her office."

"That's why we're going to use these." Duncan said as he reached for the guard's belt and held up a pair of handcuffs."

"Kinky, but you know bears are not my type." Nathan remarked.

"Just play along." Duncan replied with a frown.

"What about your real body?" Nathan asked.

"It will be fine here for now." Duncan said.

Nathan nodded and allowed Duncan to put his hands behind his back with the cuffs. Duncan then grabbed him by the shoulder and escorted him out of the bathroom. They walked down the hall toward the mayor's private office and ran into another guard.

"What do you have there, Rich?" the other guard asked.

"Caught him snooping around, I'm escorting him out." Duncan lied.

"Aren't you going the wrong way?" the guard asked.

"I figured I'd take a little detour, ask him a couple of questions before calling the cops." Duncan said.

"Got it, why should the cops get all the fun?" the other guard replied with a wink, making Nathan wonder what these reject cops meant by fun.

"Right." Duncan said. "Oh, and you might want to stay clear of the bathroom back there. It's pretty nasty in there."

"Damn tourists." The other guard replied. "Alright, see you later."

The guard allowed Duncan and Nathan to pass. They kept walking in silence until the guard was out of sight. They quickly went into the mayor's office with the guard's keys. Once the door was locked, Duncan removed the cuffs from Nathan and astral projected out of the guard, who fell unconscious on the floor. Nathan headed to the vault and took a closer look. It was an old-fashioned vault that used tumblers. The mayor really needed to upgrade.

"Can you conjure me up a stethoscope?" Nathan asked.

Duncan nodded and did as he asked. Nathan took the stethoscope and began cracking the vault, carefully turning the tumblers while listening for a click, which brought back memories. After a few moments, he heard the click and opened the vault. He reached in and revealed a couple of folders.

"You're amazing." Duncan said.

"Have a look." Nathan replied as he handed over the files.

Duncan took the files and began flipping through them. He tossed most of them aside pretty quickly, though he stopped to read one. "Oh my god." Duncan said after a while.

"Found something?" Nathan asked.

"Definitely." Duncan replied. "The mayor had an older sister. She disappeared under mysterious circumstances when the mayor was a teenager."

"And." Nathan asked impatiently.

"Although the disappearance was never solved, the cops investigated a jazz club called the Cauldron here in the city." Duncan replied. "The mayor believed that the family owning the club was responsible for her sister's disappearance. She believed they practiced voodoo and did something to her sister."

"That would explain why she hates magic." Nathan noted. "But how is this not public record?"

"There was no proof." Duncan said as he kept on reading. "The police closed the case and believed the mayor made the whole thing up. They basically called her insane and the whole case ruined her family. Her parents moved away and the mayor changed her name."

"So she started a new life as the most powerful woman in the city, hell-bent on destroying magic." Nathan concluded. "So what do we do with this information exactly?"

"I'm not sure yet, but we should get out of there and tell the others." Duncan replied. "None of us should be anywhere near the mayor right now."

Xxx

Billie heard her heart beat as the room fell silent. She was standing in front of Darcy, who was lying unconscious on the bed. Brandon stood opposite of her, still holding his talisman, while two suited men were aiming guns at them. The mayor stood in the door opening. For an uncomfortably long moment, nobody moved a muscle. Despite being confused, Billie knew was that she needed to protect Darcy no matter what.

"Someone tell me what is going on here." the mayor said.

"This doesn't concern you." Brandon replied. "You're dealing with forces you don't understand."

The mayor looked at him and noticed the talisman in his hand. Her eyes widened as she seemingly recognized it. A hateful glare appeared in her eyes. She reached into her coat and pulled out a ruby amulet, which was glowing softly.

"I should have known your foul magic was at work here." the mayor said bitterly. "The amulet responds to it."

"That amulet." Brandon said with a frown. "Where did you get it?"

"I'll be asking the questions." The mayor said. "Move and my men will shoot you."

"Look, I don't know what's going on any more than you, but I do know that my friend is in danger." Billie said. "She has been possessed by something."

"And still you wonder why I want to exterminate magic." The mayor snapped at her. "This is the exact reason why. Because innocent people always get caught in the crossfire."

"We don't have time to debate this again." Billie remarked. "I'm taking my friend to get help."

"You're not going anywhere." The mayor said.

"You can't leave with her." Brandon added as he turned to Billie. "Only witch doctors can extract this kind of spirit. Your magic will kill her if you try."

"I still don't trust you." Billie replied.

"Look, we're running out of time." Brandon said. "My spell only temporarily subdued the spirit."

"Alright, this is how this is going to work." The mayor said. "You will both stand down and let my men take you into custody. We will take the girl and figure out how to stop this evil somewhere private."

"And then what? You'll let us go?" Billie asked skeptically.

"You don't have a choice in the matter, Miss Jenkins." The mayor said. "You could easily overpower my men, but not without risking your friend's life."

Billie felt silent as she realized the mayor was right. She could easily take out her men, but not without putting Darcy in danger. She didn't trust the mayor or Brandon, but she had to choose before it was too late. She was about to speak up when the two suited men suddenly disappeared in swirls of orbs. A moment later, Paige and Tyler entered the room.

"We figured you were in trouble when the mayor missed her own speech." Tyler said.

"What is going on?" Paige asked. "And why is there a witch doctor here? Did someone get hexed? I hate it when that happens."

"Where are my men?" The mayor asked demandingly.

"They are taking a little dive in the bay." Paige replied casually. "They will be fine as long as they can swim."

"Darcy has been possessed." Billie said. "We need a way to save her, but I'm not sure we can trust the witch doctor."

"The name is Brandon." Brandon said a little annoyed. "And our magic is the only thing that can save her life."

"I hate to say it, Billie, but I think he is right." Paige said.

"Finally." Brandon remarked.

"I am not letting you leave with that girl." The mayor said angrily as she grasped her amulet. "Not after… I won't let this happen again."

"Then come with us." Billie said. "Perhaps we can show you that not all magic is evil."

"I'll come too." Tyler said. "I'm not letting you alone with these people."

"No, I don't want to involve the two of you." Billie replied.

"Tyler is right, you shouldn't go alone." Paige said. "You two go save Darcy, I will cover things here and deal with the guys I just orbed into the bay."

"Everyone get ready." Brandon said.

Billie nodded as Paige orbed away and walked over to Darcy to hold her hand. Even though this was the only way to save her friend, it felt like she was making a huge mistake. There was history between the mayor and the witch doctors that was spelling out trouble in a big way. Before she could change her mind, however, Brandon teleported them all away in an orange flash.

xxx


	5. Chapter 5

Chosen Chapter 15: We Have History

Part 5

Xxx

After covering their tracks at the mayor's office, Duncan and Nathan returned to the Chosen residence to inform the others. Duncan had already tried calling Billie and Violet, but neither of them was picking up their phone. It didn't look like they were home either. He thought about what they had discovered about the mayor and headed to his laptop. Her sister had disappeared at a club called the Cauldron, so he looked it up. It was a popular jazz club located down town.

"Find anything?" Nathan asked.

"Found the Cauldron." Duncan replied. "The place where the mayor's sister was last seen. We should probably check it out."

"It happened nearly thirty years ago." Nathan replied. "What do you expect to find?"

"Probably nothing, but what else can we try?" Duncan asked. "If we find out what happened to the mayor's sister, she might back off."

"Or she'll become even more spiteful." Nathan noted.

"Aren't you curious?" Duncan asked.

"Of course I am." Nathan replied with a smile. "This investigating and sneaking around is pretty fun, especially with you."

"Then let's head over to the club and see what we can find." Duncan said.

Nathan nodded and they headed back to the front door. Just as Duncan opened the door, a concerned Hope stepped onto the front porch.

"Hope, what's wrong?" Duncan asked.

"I think something is wrong with Darcy." Hope replied. "We had a fight last night and now she's not picking up her phone."

"Billie went to Berkeley to talk to Darcy, but she's not picking up either." Duncan informed her.

"Now I really feel like something bad has happened." Hope said.

"I can try scrying for them." Duncan said as he headed inside and grabbed a map of the city and a crystal from the cupboard. "Do you have anything personal belonging to Darcy?"

"Well, this bracelet belongs to her." Hope said as she held up her arm and took off a silver bracelet. "She let me borrow it, though it is very important to her."

"It's worth a shot." Duncan said.

Duncan took the bracelet and put the map on the table. After tying the bracelet to the scrying crystal, he lowered the crystal over the map and began spinning it while focusing on Darcy. He felt a soft pull as he came closer. Suddenly, the crystal dropped on a familiar looking place on the map, one Duncan had just checked out online. It was either a bizarre coincidence, or something was very wrong.

"She is at the Cauldron." Duncan said.

"That's weird." Nathan said surprised.

"What's the Cauldron?" Hope asked.

"A jazz club where people apparently go missing." Duncan replied. "We have to get going, I will fill you in along the way."

Hope nodded and they all headed back outside to find Darcy and the others. Duncan was sure that Billie would be at the club as well, since she would never let Darcy be taken. He just hoped that she was alright.

Xxx

In the grand library of the academy of Atlantis, Violet yawned as she flipped the page of another ancient book on magic. On the table stood a glowing yellow crystal, enchanted so that anyone could read the books, no matter what language it was written in. She and Arthur had been there for hours trying to find a way to break the petrification, though they had found nothing so far. Faiza had excused herself a while ago, as she had other business to attend to. Violet looked over at Arthur and saw he was getting tired as well, though he probably wouldn't admit it.

"You look like you need a break." Violet said.

"No, not yet. I feel like we're getting close." Arthur replied.

"You said that an hour ago." Violet noted. "I honestly don't think we're going to find the answer here."

"It has to be here." Arthur replied somewhat frustrated. "It just has to. If we can't find answers here… I can't give up now."

"I know." Violet said. "But maybe the answer isn't in a book."

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked.

"I mean, we're in the past." Violet reasoned. "We know what is going to happen, we know who turned the wizards to stone. We met him already."

"You want to ask the prince?" Arthur asked shocked. "We can't. It will change the course of history. He can't know what is going to happen."

"We can ask Faiza to help." Violet said.

"Help with what?" A familiar voice sounded.

Violet turned and saw Faiza walking in their direction, having overheard the last part of their conversation.

"We won't find what we're looking for here." Violet said. "But we know who has the answers. The prince. He plays a part in it all."

"Please, I do not wish to know the full extent of what will happen." Faiza replied. "Just knowing something is coming is already a terrible burden."

"I'm sorry, Faiza." Violet said. "But the prince is the key."

"We need a way to talk to him." Arthur added. "Can you arrange a meeting?"

"I'm not sure. The prince is a busy man and he is always surrounded by his personal guard." Faiza said. "He has obligations tonight that he cannot miss."

Faiza looked upset and Violet remembered the conversation she had with the prince earlier. His mother was arranging a dinner with a potential bride. Violet was convinced that Faiza had feelings for the prince and she was pretty sure he felt the same way about her. Getting the prince away from the dinner was the perfect opportunity to get everyone what they wanted.

"We need to get him away from that dinner." Violet said determined.

"Violet, we can't." Arthur said.

"I don't see any other choice." Violet replied. "If we don't, all of this will have been for nothing. Besides, how do we know this wasn't meant to happen all along?"

"What do you mean?" Faiza asked.

"I mean, you foresaw us coming. You decided to help us." Violet replied. "What is this is all part of the Grand Design?"

"I… I was meant to help you. That is what I believe." Faiza admitted.

"What do you think?" Violet asked as she looked at Arthur.

"I'm still worried about changing the past." Arthur said. "But you're right, we came here for a reason. I won't go back without an answer."

"Then I will take you to the palace." Faiza said.

Faiza let Violet and Arthur out of the academy and toward the grand tower in the middle of the island, which was part of the palace. Violet knew she needed to trust her own judgement. As a child of Destiny, she was meant to ensure everything happens the way it was meant to. However, she also believed in doing the right thing.

When the trio reached the grand tower, they noticed prince Emyr standing in front of the door talking to a group of people. Violet froze when she recognized one of their faces. She heard Arthur gasp as she grabbed his arm. In front of the prince stood Ambrose. He seemed to be in a heated discussion with the prince.

"Oh no." Violet said nervously.

"You know this man?" Faiza asked.

"He is… dangerous." Arthur said carefully.

"Do not worry, my spell will prevent him from recognizing you." Faiza said.

"What is he doing here?" Arthur asked.

"He is with a delegation from Avalon, a sister city." Faiza explained. "They are opposed to the academy teaching witches, as they believe that wizards should stand above the rest."

"Looks like he hasn't changed a bit." Violet noted.

Violet and the others moved closer so they could overhear the discussion. Ambrose seemed to be in charge of a small group of wizards. The guards around the prince seemed tense and clutched their weapons, as if they did not trust Ambrose either.

"I told you, this academy is a mistake." Ambrose said. "We should not share our knowledge with these witches. They are undeserving."

"That is not your call to make, Ambrosius." Emyr replied. "My mother chose to open the academy to teach others, as my grandfather and great-grandfather would have wanted."

"They are messing with magic they do not understand." Ambrose said. "It is dangerous. Only wizards should have access to it."

"You talk about danger, but that is not the real reason you oppose this." Emyr replied. "You believe wizards should stand above everyone else. It is pride that motivates you."

"And why not?" Ambrose remarked. "It is true our kind is more evolved. Look at the knowledge we have, the cities we built. We should lead this world."

"You are blinded by your arrogance and lack of compassion." Emyr said. "You will never understand what it means to lead. And considering you are not of royal blood, you fortunately never will."

"And you are just an impudent child." Ambrose replied. "A spoiled prince who does not see how the world truly works."

"Enough." Emyr said angrily and his guards drew their weapons. "Mind your words or I will throw you in our dungeon."

"Forgive me, your highness." Ambrose replied unconvincingly with a smug smile. "We shall return to Avalon at once."

Ambrose and the others took a bow and walked away. As they passed Violet and the others, Ambrose stopped for a moment and looked in their direction. Violet held her breath and squeezed Arthur's arm as a chill ran down her spine. However, Ambrose was staring at the academy in the distance instead of them.

"What do we do now, Ambrosius?" A balding wizard asked.

"Patience, Bowan." Ambrose replied with a troubling look in his eyes. "Atlantis will come to regret the day they took those witches in."

Ambrose and his brethren walked away, disappearing from sight. Once he was gone, Violet was finally able to breathe again. For a moment, she was scared that he would somehow recognize them, but that was crazy. They were protected by a spell and this version of Ambrose had never seen them before.

"I hoped that it was the tragedy that made him the way he is." Arthur admitted. "But now I realize he has always been like this."

"You are nothing like him." Violet said comforting. "You are kind and compassionate. You teach everyone no matter who or what they are."

"Thanks to my mother raising me." Arthur replied.

"And she would have been proud." Violet said.

"We should get moving." Faiza interrupted. "The prince is expected to be at the dinner in less than an hour. I will take you to the guest quarters and find a way to bring him to you. Follow me."

Without waiting for a response, Faiza stepped forward and headed toward the tower. Violet looked at Arthur and took his hand as they followed her.

Xxx

Billie was surrounded by a flash of orange light as she held Darcy's hand tightly. When the light faded, she suddenly found herself in an empty jazz club. It was filled with brown leather furniture, while the club itself was dark with orange elements. There was a small stage in the back where musicians could perform. Billie used her telekinesis to lift Darcy onto a couch. Aside from them, Brandon had also teleported Tyler and the mayor with him to the club. The mayor looked around carefully, scanning for danger.

"Brandon, is that you?" A voice sounded from the back office.

Billie turned around and saw a middle-aged man with dark skin leave the office. He was dressed in a sharp suit had resembled Brandon a lot, which led Billie to believe they were related. The man stopped as he noticed the group of people in front of him.

"Brandon, what have you done?" the man asked.

The man looked at each and everyone in the club and froze when he saw the mayor. He seemed confused and hurt to see her. The mayor's eyes widened in recognition when she looked at him.

"Mandy?" The man asked.

"Don't even." The mayor said warningly. "The name is Mayor Amanda Freeman now. It has been a long time, Edgar."

"You two know each other?" Brandon asked with a frown.

"Yeah, I'm curious about that too." Billie added.

"Uh, guys, I don't think we have time for that." Tyler said as he pointed at Darcy.

Billie turned and saw that Darcy had started levitating again. Everything around her began to tremble as her eyes shot open. She screamed as her face once again became demonic. Both Brandon and Edgar revealed a talisman and pointed it at Darcy as they started chanting. After a few moments, the trembling stopped and Darcy fell back onto the couch.

"It is getting stronger." Brandon said. "I would not have able to stop it alone."

"It's good that you brought her here." Edgar replied. "Though I would have preferred a little less audience."

"Tell me what is going on with my friend." Billie said.

"You wouldn't understand." Edgar replied. "Just let us help her."

"Uncle, she's a witch." Brandon said.

"I see, that changes things." Edgar said. "Alright, how much do you know about spirits?"

"I know the basics." Billie replied. "But this doesn't seem like your average ghost."

"Indeed." Edgar said. "We're dealing with a particularly rare and powerful creature, a poltergeist. It is what happens when a regular spirit is twisted into something demonic."

"How does that happen?" Billie asked.

"These types of spirits feed on negative energy." Edgar explained. "If it absorbs enough, it will lose its humanity completely and become a demon."

"How did it get Darcy?" Tyler asked.

"We were chasing the poltergeist through a cemetery when Darcy and a blond girl came by. They argued and the poltergeist must have been attracted to Darcy's negative emotions." Brandon explained.

"Oh no." Billie said. "She was very upset after running into me and Nick."

"Don't worry, it's not too late to save her." Edgar said.

"I've heard that before." The mayor said harshly.

"Mandy, now is not the time. This girl is in danger." Edgar replied.

"Don't ever call me that again." The mayor said angrily. "Do you really think I will let you practice your voodoo rituals on this girl? Not after what happened to my sister."

"Mandy… I mean, Amanda, please." Edgar said. "You don't know the full extent of what happened. Things got out of control back then."

"All I know is that my sister disappeared from the face of the earth." The mayor replied. "She trusted you and it led to her death. I will not let it happen again."

The mayor reached into her coat and revealed the ruby amulet from earlier. It was glowing brightly and she stepped toward Edgar with a determined glare.

"No, the amulet will weaken our spell." Edgar said. "You'll wake the poltergeist."

"You killed my sister. Admit it." The mayor snapped at him.

"I was trying to save her." Edgar replied.

"Liar. You used her in your dark magic rituals." The mayor ranted angrily. "You are the reason she is gone, you are the reason my life was ruined. Your magic is evil and I will eradicate it!"

As the mayor clutched the amulet, it let out a flash of red light that blinded everyone for a moment. When the light faded, Billie felt a dark presence behind her. She turned and saw Darcy hovering in the air, completely overtaken by the poltergeist. She tried to move, but the poltergeist let out a terrifying wail that knocked everyone off their feet.

xxx


	6. Chapter 6

Chosen Chapter 15: We Have History

Part 6

Xxx

In ancient Atlantis, Violet stood on a balcony in the guest quarters of the palace, overlooking the city beneath her. As night began to fall and the sky darkened, thousands of lights filled the streets, giving the entire city a magical glow. It had been almost half an hour since Faiza had brought them here and went to find the prince. Violet was a little restless, but seeing the city was comforting. Arthur appeared behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. They stood in silence for a while, enjoying the view. It would be romantic if the city was not facing certain destruction.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Arthur noted. "Once we find a way to free the wizards, we can help rebuild it in the present."

"Would you want to live here?" Violet asked. "To be with your people?"

"I don't know." Arthur admitted. "They're wizards like me, and they will need help to adjust to the modern world, but there a thousands of years between us. I don't know if they're my people."

"But isn't this all you ever wanted?" Violet asked.

"I did once. But now it's not the only thing I want." Arthur replied. "I could see myself living here, but only if you are here with me."

"You want me to come with you?" Violet asked as she turned to face him.

"Of course. I love you." Arthur said. "Would you consider it?"

"I don't know." Violet replied. "I love you too, but I want to graduate college first, and I have my friends and parents. Living in a city of wizards was never in my plans."

"I understand." Arthur said. "There is no rush. You can graduate and think about it first."

"I will." Violet replied. "What about you? Would you give up everything to move here? Or would you still teach Magic School?"

"I don't know. I guess we could both commute." Arthur said. "But right now, all of this is just a fantasy. Let's focus on freeing the wizards first."

"You're right. Faiza has been gone a long time." Violet noted. "Do you think she will be able to get the prince here?"

"Let's hope so." Arthur replied.

Violet nodded and walked away from the window to get some food. When Faiza had left, a servant had arrived with cheese, bread and wine. Violet grabbed some of the cheese and sat down on the bed. As soon as she took a bite, the door opened and Faiza and prince Emyr entered. Violet nearly chocked on the cheese and spit it in back her hand. Feeling a little embarrassed, she quickly hid the cheese behind her back.

"Faiza, I don't understand what the emergency is." Emyr said.

"I'm sorry, your highness, but this is a matter of great importance." Arthur said.

"I remember you." Emyr said. "You were at the academy."

"Yes, but we're not from around here. Not even from this time." Arthur said. "Faiza, can you please reverse the cloaking spell. The prince should see our true faces."

Faiza nodded and chanted something in an ancient language. Arthur and Violet were surrounded by a flash of light as the spell that hid their identities was lifted.

"What is going on?" Emyr asked with a frown. "Who are you really?"

"My name is Arthur, and I'm a wizard like you." Arthur said. "This is Violet, she's a witch."

"We're from the future." Violet explained. "We came to the past because something tragic is about to happen and we need your help."

"What is going to happen?" Emyr asked.

"This won't be easy to hear." Arthur warned him. "For either of you."

"I'm the prince of this city. I can handle it." Emyr said.

"Alright. Very soon an accident will happen at the academy." Arthur began. "The witches there will lose control of their magic and it will destroy most of the island, killing many of your people."

"Oh no." Faiza whispered horrified.

"From the look on your face, I can tell there is more." Emyr said.

"Atlantis will sink to the bottom of the ocean." Arthur continued. "However, you will be able to save some of your people by turning them to stone. But you will be petrified for thousands of years."

"I'm sure the other cities will come to our aid." Emyr said.

"They can't." Violet said reluctantly. "Because of the tragedy here, the Source of All Evil will begin a war to destroy the wizard race. Wizards are almost entirely extinct in our time."

"So you are telling me that my people are doomed?" Emyr asked angrily.

"No, not entirely." Arthur replied. "In our time, Atlantis has resurfaced and we're trying to free you. We came here to find a way to reverse the petrification."

"This is a lot to process." Emyr said as he walked to the window. "Why should I believe you? I don't even know you. This could be a trick by our enemies, the people who oppose the academy."

"But you know me, my prince." Faiza said. "I have foreseen their arrival and I have long sensed that something terrible is coming. I believe they are here to help us."

"I see… I trust you, Faiza." Emyr said before turning back to Violet and Arthur. "Can the disaster be prevented?"

"I'm sorry." Violet replied. "It is part of our history, part of the Grand Design. I know it is terrible to hear, but this is destined to happen. We cannot save you now, but we can help you rebuild in the future."

"You know we cannot alter the Grand Design." Faiza added. "As much as it hurts."

"You're asking me to let the majority of my people die." Emyr concluded bitterly.

"I cannot even begin to imagine…." Arthur started to say.

"No, you can't." Emyr interrupted him. "I am the prince of Atlantis, I was raised to rule and protect my people. You're asking me to let them die."

"So you can start over in the future." Arthur said.

"I cannot decide this now, I need time to think." Emyr said. "You will stay here and we will finish this conversation in the morning."

Without waiting for an answer, Emyr stormed out of the room. Faiza looked conflicted for a moment before hurrying after him. When they were gone, Violet and Arthur were alone again. Violet looked at the cheese in her hand and realized she had lost her appetite. She could not even image how Emyr and Faiza felt, knowing that everything you knew was about to be destroyed. Arthur sat down on the bed and buried his face in his hands.

"You did everything you could." Violet said. "Now it's up to them to decide."

"I know, I just hope they make the right choice." Arthur said as he looked at her. "If they make the wrong one, history could be altered in ways we can't even imagine."

"It was a risk worth taking to help them." Violet replied.

"How can you be sure?" Arthur asked.

"I don't know." Violet said. "I'm supposed to be this child of Destiny, meant to ensure everything happens the way it should. But I don't think I have been given this power to just stand by. I have to follow my heart and do what I think is right."

"You're amazing, you know that." Arthur said with a smile. "I love you."

"I love you too." Violet replied.

Violet leaned in and gently kissed him on the lips. Arthur returned her kiss and ran his hand through her hair. They both smiled, knowing they were going to be stuck there for the night, waiting for the prince to make a choice. With a beautiful view and a private room all to themselves, neither of them needed words to explain how they felt or what they wanted. They continued to kiss as they fell down on the bed in a passionate embrace.

Xxx

In the Cauldron club, the poltergeist possessing Darcy let out a terrifying wail and a blast of energy knocked everyone off their feet. When Billie look up, Darcy was hovering in the air and her face had morphed into something demonic. Billie tried to get to her feet, though a crushing force pressed her back down as Darcy held out her hand. It seemed the poltergeist was growing stronger.

"How do we stop this thing?" Billie called out.

"We need to put it back to sleep so we can perform the exorcism." Brandon replied. "I need my talisman."

Billie saw Brandon reaching for his talisman, which was a few inches out of his reach. She flicked her hand and the talisman slid across the floor into his hand. Brandon nodded to thank her and held up the talisman. However, before he could act, Darcy screamed and both Brandon and Edgar's talismans flew into her hand. She crushed the talismans and the shattered pieces fell to the ground.

"Oh crap." Billie said. "Time for plan B."

Billie braced herself and leaped up from the ground, fighting the unseen force that pressed her down. She waved her hand and unleashed a wave of kinetic energy that knocked Darcy back against a wall. Immediately, the force lifted and everyone was able to get on their feet. Darcy came back in their direction, though Tyler created a circle of fire to trap her.

"Now what?" Tyler asked. "That won't hold long."

"I have more talismans in the back." Edgar said. "I will gather them. Find a way to keep the poltergeist contained."

Edgar ran to his office while Tyler kept Darcy trapped in the fire while trying not to burn her. Meanwhile, the mayor sat down and looked at her amulet before looking at the possessed Darcy with a pained expression.

"I did this." The mayor said. "I released that thing."

"Yeah, but now is not the time." Billie replied. "We need to keep her distracted."

Darcy unleashed another wave of energy that dissipated the fire and knocked Tyler back into some tables. Brandon ran over to check on him while Billie faced the thing possessing her friend.

"Hey ugly, release my friend." Billie demanded.

Darcy screamed and fired a wave of energy at her, which Billie blocked with her telekinesis by holding out both her hands. She struggled to contain the blast and was slowly forced back. She knew it was only a matter of time before she lost this magical tug-a-war, as the poltergeist was more powerful than her alone. At that moment, the door of the club opened and Duncan came running in, followed by Nathan and Hope.

"What the hell?" Nathan called out.

"Oh my god, Darcy!" Hope added panicked.

"A little help here?" Billie asked.

Duncan nodded and conjured a metallic Bursting Ball, which he threw at the ground beneath Darcy. The sphere exploded in a flash of light, which distracted Darcy long enough for Billie to overpower her and force her against the wall.

Meanwhile, Edgar returned and handed a talisman to Brandon. Both Witch Doctors started chanting as they held up the talismans. Darcy wailed as the poltergeist was weakened. Her face returned to normal and she once again fell unconscious. Once the poltergeist was down, Brandon picked up Darcy and put her on one of the sofas.

"It keeps growing stronger." Brandon said. "If we don't perform the exorcism now, we won't be able to stop it next time and your friend will be lost forever."

"I understand, do what you have to do." Billie said.

"Hold on, Darcy is my friend." Hope intervened. "I want to know what is going on first."

"She has been possessed by a poltergeist." Billie explained to her and the others. "It probably happened after you ran into Nick and me. The poltergeist feeds on negative energy."

"The cemetery." Hope said understandingly. "Darcy was pretty hurt and mad. And this exorcism can save her?"

"It's the only way." Edgar said.

"Then do it." Hope replied determined. "I want my friend back."

"Alright, but can we first talk about the other threat in the room?" Duncan asked as he pointed to the mayor. "What is she doing here? She is dangerous."

"Excuse me?" The mayor asked. "Who do you think you're talking to?"

"Duncan, I don't think she is our main concern now." Billie replied.

"I wouldn't be so sure." Duncan said. "We did a little digging. We know the reason she hates magic so much. We saw the files in her office."

"What?" The mayor asked with a glare. "You broke into a government office? I can have you arrested for that."

"You could do that, but then all your dirty secrets will come out." Nathan remarked. "I doubt you'll win the next popularity contest if that happens."

"Guys, enough." Billie said. "What did you find?"

"She's connected to this place, to the Witch Doctors." Duncan said. "Decades ago, her sister disappeared here. She accused the owners of practicing voodoo, but it was never proven. That is why she hates magic."

"You have no idea what you're talking about, boy." The mayor snapped at him. "You could never understand what I've been through."

"Mandy, perhaps it is time for the truth." Edgar said. "You deserve to know what truly happened."

"Why tell me now?" the mayor asked. "And after all these years, why would I believe you?"

"Because you know how I felt about you." Edgar said. "I loved you, and I never intended for your sister to get caught up in our practices."

"What happened?" Billie asked.

"A long time ago, Mandy and I were in love." Edgar replied. "Her sister Candice wanted to become a singer, so I arranged for her to perform at the club."

"She had a beautiful voice." The mayor said as she remembered her sister and tears welled up in her eyes.

"She was wonderful." Edgar said nodding. "However, my family used to practice exorcisms in the back room of the club. Candice interrupted a ritual and was possessed by a powerful evil entity."

"I had always heard rumors about your dark magic, but I never believed it." The mayor replied. "I didn't want to until she disappeared."

"I wanted to keep you from that part of my life." Edgar said. "We tracked down the entity and tried to expel it, but it was too powerful. It killed your sister, Mandy. I'm so sorry."

"Why didn't you tell me?" The mayor asked tearfully. "You shut me out and lied to me at a time when I needed you the most."

"I was afraid you would never forgive me." Edgar admitted. "It was my fault she was there and I wasn't able to save her."

"So instead you left me with nothing but pain and doubt." The mayor said angrily. "For years I hoped she would come back, while you knew all along she never would."

"I made a mistake." Edgar replied. "I thought I was protecting you, but I let your pain and doubt grow into fear and hatred for magic."

"I understand you now." Billie as she turned to mayor. "My sister was taken by something evil when I was young too. Nobody told me anything and it made me so angry. If I had known about magic back then, maybe I would have hated it too."

"Why don't you hate it?" the mayor asked.

"Because I know there is good and evil in this world." Billie explained. "The people who helped me find my sister are good, as are my friends here now. We only want to help people and protect the innocent, like your sister."

"I… don't know." The mayor said hesitantly.

"We all have a lot more to talk about, especially us, Mandy." Edgar said. "But right now, we need to start preparing the ritual."

Billie nodded and turned to look at Darcy on the sofa, Hope was sitting next to her and held her hand. Billie hoped that it was not too late to save her friend, as she didn't want history to repeat itself here tonight.

xxx


	7. Chapter 7

Chosen Chapter 15: We Have History

Part 7

Xxx

In the ancient city of Atlantis, Arthur awoke peacefully with his arms wrapped around a still sleeping Violet. They were in the quest quarters of the royal palace, basically prisoners until the prince had made up his mind. He wished he would enjoy this blissful moment with his girlfriend a bit longer, though his concerns returned the moment he truly woke up. Being careful not to wake Violet, Arthur slipped out of bed and quickly got dressed. He walked to the balcony and looked outside. The city was still there, though there was no telling how long it would stand. It was a tragedy that the city had to fall, but he held on to the idea that it could be rebuilt in the present.

"You're up early." Violet said from the bed as she sat up.

"Sorry, I couldn't sleep anymore." Arthur replied.

"You're worried about the prince." Violet noted. "About whether or not he will listen to us."

"I'm worried he is going to change the past with the information we gave him." Arthur said. "But part of me almost wishes he will. Otherwise all these people will die."

"That's understandable." Violet replied. "But this cannot be prevented. The future will be too different."

"It could be better." Arthur suggested.

"No, it won't." Violet replied confidently.

"How can you be sure?" Arthur asked with a frown.

"Think about it." Violet said. "If Atlantis was never destroyed, the wizards would still exist in the present, which means your father would never do the things he did…"

"Meaning he will never meet my mother, so that I will never be born." Arthur concluded.

"That's why I know the future won't be better." Violet said with a smile. "Because you won't be there."

Arthur sat back down on the bed and kissed her. "I love you." He said. "You know exactly how to keep me grounded and to cheer me up."

"And you do the same." Violet replied. "Last night was amazing."

"It was." Arthur said with a smile.

There was a knock on the door and it swung open. Arthur stood up and Violet quickly covered herself with the sheets of the bed as Faiza entered with a few royal guards.

"The prince wishes to speak with you in the royal gardens." Faiza said politely. "I will give you a moment to get ready."

A few moments later, Arthur and Violet followed Faiza through the palace while being escorted by the guards. When they reached the beautiful tropical gardens, the guards bowed and left. Violet gasped as she saw the collection of rare and gorgeous flowers, some of which Arthur had never seen before. Faiza led them to a large fountain, where prince Emyr was pacing in circles. He looked stressed and tired, as he was probably still processing everything he had learned.

"My prince." Faiza said with a slight bow to announce their presence.

"Good, you're here." Emyr said. "We need to finish our conversation. I need more information."

"What else can we tell you, your highness?" Violet asked.

"When will it happen? How much time do we have?" Emyr asked.

"We don't know exactly." Arthur said. "It could be days or it could be months."

"How many people will die?" Emyr asked.

"I wish I could tell you." Violet said. "But honestly, I think knowing will only make it worse."

"Not if we can prevent it." Emyr replied.

"I'm sorry." Violet said. "This is how it is supposed to happen."

"It can't. I can't let it." Emyr said angrily. "I spent all night thinking it over. I cannot betray my people by letting them die. I must try to save them."

"Your highness, you also have to consider the Grand Design." Arthur replied.

"He is right, Emyr." Faiza said. "My visions have shown me that this is unavoidable."

"The future is not set in stone." Emyr replied. "You told me that."

"Some events cannot be altered." Faiza explained. "Such events shape the destiny of the entire world. They cannot be changed for personal reasons. I would give my life for Atlantis, but I know in my heart that this is not the right way. The future will be worse for it."

"So you want to stand by and do nothing?" Emyr asked. "How will we live with ourselves?"

"I have a solution for that." Faiza said as she held out her hand to reveal a small vial with a clear blue fluid. "A memory potion. One that will make us forget everything we have learned once Violet and Arthur have returned to their own time."

"If you give us the answers we need, we can free you in our time and help you rebuild." Arthur said. "Your people will get a chance to live on."

"It won't be a betrayal." Violet said. "You are making a difficult choice to save those you can."

"Remember our lessons, Emyr." Faiza added.

"To be a ruler means making difficult choices." Emyr recounted. "You must always put your people before your own needs. You must carry the burden of responsibility so your people can live in freedom and peace. I remember those lessons."

"So what will you decide?" Arthur asked.

"I cannot risk everything to ease my own guilt." Emyr admitted. "I must make the choice that is best for my people. If this gives them a chance to survive in the future, I must take that chance."

"You will be a good king." Violet said. "You care about your people."

"It doesn't feel like it, but thank you." Emyr said. "So what do you need to know?"

"When the city is destroyed, you use your magic to petrify those around you and to protect the tower from destruction." Arthur said. "We have tried everything to reverse your magic, but nothing seems to work."

"I see." Emyr replied. "I have powerful and ancient magic running through my blood. There is only one way to break it. My grandfather Neptune carried a golden trident. It was forged with the same magic, meaning that it can reverse my magic."

"Wait, a golden trident?" Violet asked. "Billie mentioned it was in the room with the Auger Shells."

"I remember." Arthur replied. "It was stored with the other magical artifacts we recovered. I can't believe we didn't think of that."

"There is more." Emyr said. "The trident is only one part of it. My magic is rare and powerful. In order to reverse it, you will need a wizard with the same power over the earth. Only when such a wizard wields the trident can the magic be reversed."

"Oh no." Arthur said as he realized what that meant.

"Is something wrong?" Faiza asked.

"We only know one wizard who has that power." Arthur said. "My half-brother Bryant."

"Are you not on good terms?" Emyr asked.

"Not really." Arthur replied. "He is working for our father, an evil madman who seeks to recreate the wizard race in his own image."

"Who is your father?" Emyr asked.

"His name is Ambrosius." Arthur said.

"Ambrosius is your father?" Emyr asked angrily as he raised his fist, causing the earth to tremble slightly. "That smug snake cannot be trusted. So why would I trust you?"

"Please, Arthur is nothing like his father." Violet said as she stepped between them. "He is a good and honest man. He only wants to help you. He has been searching for this all his life."

"Why should I believe you?" Emyr asked.

"Because I love him. I trust him with my life." Violet said. "I know you understand how that feels."

Violet's eyes turned to Faiza and the prince followed her gaze. A blush appeared on Faiza's face and she quickly turned away. A slight smile appeared on the prince's lips and he calmed down, which stopped the earth from shaking.

"Alright, Violet." Emyr said. "I can tell your feelings about Arthur are sincere, so I will trust in that. After all, my lessons also taught me to follow my instincts."

"So what happens now?" Violet asked.

"You return to your own time and free my people." Emyr said. "I'm putting my faith in you. We will remain here and take the memory potion to forget this ever happened."

"That way, the course of history will not be altered and everything will happen according to the Grand Design." Faiza added.

"I wish there was more we could do." Arthur admitted.

"You're saving my people, Arthur." Emyr replied. "You might not save us all, but at least you're giving us a chance to start again."

"We should go." Violet said.

"Are you sure you are able to travel that far again?" Arthur asked. "You started bleeding and passed out last time. I'm worried about the effect time travel has on you."

"Time travel is dangerous and takes a lot of power." Faiza said. "Be cautious when you use it, Violet, it could cost you everything."

"Wait, are you saying it could kill me?" Violet asked concerned.

"If you strain yourself too far, yes." Faiza replied. "This power is not meant to be used lightly. As a Child of Destiny, you must consider your choices carefully. Not only for yourself, but for those around you as well. Altering the past always comes with a price."

"I will be careful from now on." Violet said.

"Thank you for listening to us." Arthur said as he turned to Emyr and Faiza.

Emyr nodded understandingly and took a step back as Violet took Arthur's hand. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The last thing Arthur saw were Emyr and Faiza taking the memory potion before they were engulfed by white light. When the light faded, they were standing in the same spot, except the garden was in ruins and Emyr and Faiza were gone. They were back in the present. Arthur turned to Violet and saw she was about to fall. He grabbed her just in time and saw her nose was bleeding again.

"Are you okay?" Arthur asked.

"Just tired." Violet replied. "I probably shouldn't do that again any time soon."

"I don't think you should it at all anymore." Arthur said. "You heard Faiza. It could kill you."

"I know." Violet said. "But there might come a time when I have no choice. I'm not going to let someone die if I can prevent it. That's not the kind of person I am."

"I know." Arthur admitted. "You should rest."

Arthur helped Violet sit down near the decrepit fountain and she quickly fell asleep. He stroked her hair lovingly. Their trip to the past had revealed much, as they now knew how to free the wizards. Neptune's trident was already in their possession, but it seemed that only Bryant could use it. There was no way his twisted half-brother would help them. He was just as evil as their father and would never betray him. However, Arthur was determined to free the wizards, so he would get Bryant to use the trident one way or another.

Xxx

In the Cauldron, Billie was sitting at the bar while impatiently tapping her fingers on the bar. The Witch Doctors were taking their time to prepare the exorcism ritual on Darcy, so all the others could do was wait. Hope was on one of the couches with the still unconscious Darcy while Duncan, Nathan and Tyler were sitting at a table nearby talking quietly.

"Is this seat available?" Someone asked.

Billie turned around and saw the mayor standing behind her. It was still strange to see her like this. Everything that had happened had shaken her up and she no longer looked like a cold-hearted enemy. She seemed like a woman in pain.

"Of course." Billie said. "It must be difficult to be here after what happened to your sister."

"Please, I'm not interested in your sympathy, Miss Jenkins." The mayor replied as she sat down. "I probably don't deserve it either."

"You're right. You sent a witch hunter to kill us and you created a virus to wipe us all out." Billie said. "You've done horrible things, but I can understand your hatred toward magic. It only brought you pain."

"Hasn't it done the same for you?" The mayor asked.

"It did bring me pain." Billie admitted. "But it brought me so much more than that. There is a side of magic that you don't know."

"Maybe I have been seeing things too black and white." The mayor said. "But what's done is done. The virus I created is out there now. My intentions no longer matter."

"Still, I'd rather you on our side than against us." Billie replied. "If the virus is released, we might need your help to find a cure."

"Let's just get through this thing first." The mayor said. "I'm tired of waiting."

"Luckily, the waiting is over." Edgar said as he appeared from his office along with Brandon. "We finished preparing the ritual, but we will need some help."

"What do you need us to do?" Hope asked. "I'll do whatever it takes to save Darcy."

"You and the Firestarter are our backup." Brandon said. "You will stand guard and make sure the poltergeist can't escape. My uncle and I will exorcise it, after which the witches will cast a spell to vanquish it."

"Sounds like a plan." Billie said. "Are there any risks?"

"The poltergeist is attracted to negative emotions." Edgar explained. "Once it leaves Darcy, it will seek a new target."

"It will target me." The mayor said determined.

"Most likely." Edgar replied. "But knowing that gives us the advantage. We know what move it will make."

"You want me to be bait." The mayor said. "To the same type of thing that killed my sister."

"We will keep you safe, Mandy." Edgar said.

"Let's just get this over with." The mayor said reluctantly.

Edgar and Brandon painted a pentagram on the floor while scattering various herbs and other objects around it. Meanwhile, Billie, Duncan and Nathan memorized the vanquishing spell. Hope and Tyler stood beside the mayor. When everyone was ready, Billie used her power to place Darcy in the middle of the pentagram. The Witch Doctors held up their talismans and started chanting in their own language. The temperature in the room seemed to drop and Darcy began to float a few inches of the ground. Her body began to seizure as a demonic figure rose from her body. It let out a horrifying wail.

"Almost." Edgar said between chanting. "Cast the spell once it is completely separated from Darcy."

"Damn that thing is ugly." Nathan remarked.

"Dude, shut up and focus." Duncan replied.

The poltergeist raised its hands and fired a blast of energy at the Witch Doctors, though Billie protected them by deflecting the blasts. Several chairs in the club were lifted in the air and started swirling around in a strong whirlwind. Everyone took cover or used their powers to protect themselves, though several people were hit by the lying furniture.

"Any time now!" Tyler called out as he destroyed some chairs with fire.

The Witch Doctors continued chanting, ignoring the chaos around them while Billie kept shielding them. Finally, the poltergeist became completely separated from Darcy and she fell on the floor. The poltergeist wailed and flew straight at the mayor, who screamed. Hope threw herself between them and pushed the creature back with an energy blast. Tyler then distracted it with fire.

"The spell!" Brandon yelled.

Billie nodded and she and the others started chanting the spell.

" _By doctor's decree, we witches invoke,_

 _Your evil presence shall be revoked_

 _Let holy fire claim this soulless shell,_

 _And drag this demon back to hell_ "

The poltergeist wailed as a fiery portal opened underneath it and flames surrounded it. It slowly began to disintegrate as the flames dragged it down. Once the demon had been dragged under, the portal closed as if nothing had ever been there. On the other side of the room, Darcy groaned as she slowly woke up.

"What happened?" Darcy asked confused as she looked around. "Can someone tell me what the hell I'm doing here?"

xxx


	8. Chapter 8

Chosen Chapter 15: We Have History

Part 8

Xxx

The following morning, Billie sat at the breakfast table and poured herself some coffee. It was unusual for her to be the first one awake, so she had taken the liberty to set the table for everyone. Yesterday had been hectic for all of them, so she figured that her friends would all appreciate a nice meal before a hopefully uneventful, normal day. As she sipped her coffee, Billie checked her phone and saw a text message from Hope, telling her that Darcy was disoriented but otherwise fine. She was glad to hear she was alright.

"Oh, something smells great." Duncan said as he and Nathan entered the living room.

"Wait, Billie made breakfast?" Nathan asked. "Are we sure that's edible?"

"Hey, I might not spend a lot of time in the kitchen, but I'm not that horrible." Billie replied with a frown as they sat down. "Try it before you start complaining."

"Is Violet up yet?" Duncan asked.

"I heard some movement in her room." Billie said. "I think she and Arthur slept here. I wonder where they were yesterday, I couldn't reach her all day."

"Same here." Duncan replied.

"Morning, guys." Violet said as she and Arthur joined them.

"Good morning." Billie said. "Come, sit down. I made breakfast."

"Oh, I'm not sure if I'm hungry." Violet replied hesitantly.

"Guys, come on, I know how to make breakfast." Billie said annoyed.

Violet and Arthur exchanged questioning looks before both sitting down. With everyone was present, they started eating. Billie monitored their reactions, though everyone seemed to like the food.

"It tastes great, Billie." Arthur said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Billie replied with a smile. "So where were you guys yesterday?"

"We… sort-of went to the past." Violet said.

As they continued eating, Violet explained how they traveled back to ancient Atlantis, which almost caused Duncan to choke on a piece of bread. She told them how they met the prince and how they finally figured out a way to free the petrified wizards. Billie was surprised to hear everything and she realized that Violet was no longer the shy and insecure new girl. She had become a powerful witch and had gained the confidence to do what she felt was right.

"That's amazing." Duncan said. "I wish I could have seen it."

"It was truly beautiful." Arthur replied. "They were incredibly advanced."

"But it was really sad as well." Violet added. "And we know how to free the wizards now, but getting Bryant to work with us is going to be a problem."

"You'll figure it out." Billie said. "You did something incredible, Vi, I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, that means a lot." Violet replied. "So what did you guys do? Did you have a fun day?"

Billie laughed awkwardly before telling Violet and Arthur everything that had happened with Darcy and the poltergeist. As she told her side of the story, Duncan and Nathan filled them in on what they had learned about the mayor. Violet and Arthur were shocked to learn they had missed so much.

"I almost feel guilty about leaving." Violet said. "Poor Darcy, is she alright?"

"She is fine, Hope just texted me." Billie replied.

"So how did things end with the mayor and the Witch Doctors?" Arthur asked.

"We don't really know, honestly." Billie said. "When we left to take Darcy home, the mayor was already gone."

"So is she on our side now?" Violet asked.

"I doubt that." Duncan replied. "Negative feelings like that doesn't disappear just like that. She probably still blames magic for the death of her sister."

"But I think she will see reason eventually." Billie said optimistically. "She might not be on our side yet, but I don't think she is still coming after us."

"I'd still keep my eyes open." Nathan remarked.

"I agree." Arthur said. "Thanks for breakfast, Billie, but I have to get going. I need to inform everyone at Magic School about what happened and I need to secure Neptune's trident."

"Do you want me to come with?" Violet asked.

"No, you should stay and rest." Arthur replied. "You need to take it easy."

"What do you mean?" Billie asked concerned.

"Oh, it's nothing." Violet quickly said as she became flustered. "Time travel is exhausting and Arthur is just overprotective."

Billie frowned and wondered if Violet was telling her the whole story. However, she obviously didn't want to talk about it, so she decided to let it rest. Violet said goodbye to Arthur with a kiss and he disappeared through blue spirals of energy. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Billie got up and walked over. When she opened it, she found Nick standing before her.

"There you are, I've been waiting to hear from you." Nick said.

"Sorry, yesterday was pretty hectic." Billie replied as she hugged and kissed him. "I'll fill you in later. Did you have breakfast yet? I made some."

"Oh, I already ate." Nick said quickly. "By the way, I found this on your doorstep. Looks fancy."

Nick held up an envelope and Billie accepted it. It was addressed to the Chosen. She opened the envelope and looked inside. It was an invitation to a jazz performance at the Cauldron tonight. There was a little card from Brandon included, saying it was his way to thank them and that he hoped they would be there. After reading it, Billie and Nick joined the others back at the table and showed them the invitation.

"Do you think we should go?" Violet asked.

"I don't know." Billie replied. "It wouldn't hurt to have them as allies with everything going on."

"Still, I'm not sure we can trust them." Duncan said. "Witch Doctors have a strange sense of morality. They seem friendly now, but they will betray us if they feel it's justified."

"I think Brandon is a good guy." Billie said. "We should give them a chance."

"Guys, you're all missing the most important thing." Nathan said with a smirk as he held up the invitation. "Drinks are on the house."

"That settles it." Nick added.

"I agree, not because of the free drinks obviously, but because it's good to on friendly terms with them." Violet said. "Besides, I could use a fun night out."

"Duncan?" Billie asked.

"Well, they helped save Darcy, so they deserve an open mind." Duncan replied.

"Alright, I guess we're going." Billie said.

As everyone was in agreement, they continued eating breakfast and started chatting about other things, like how all of them were massively behind on their schoolwork with all the magical craziness going on.

Xxx

In the ruins of present day Atlantis, Ambrose appeared through spiraling beams of blue energy. He had been spying on the staff of Magic School and now there had been some commotion. He was curious to see what they had discovered. An unsettling feeling rose when he realized they might have found a way to free prince Emyr and his people. Ambrose looked at the ruins of the academy in the distance and a memory returned to him.

 _In ancient Atlantis, Ambrose rushed through the streets followed by his friend Bowan. The arrogant little prince had just humiliated in front of a crowd, stating that he would never rule due to not being of royal blood. Educating witches in the academy was a mistake. Wizards were meant rule over all the others, not be their equals._

 _"Ambrose wait." Bowan said. "Are we returning to Avalon?"_

 _"No, not yet." Ambrose replied. "We need to put a stop to this. Teaching the witches our magic is a great mistake."_

 _"I agree, but what can we do?" Bowan asked. "The royal family has decided in favor."_

 _"Then we need to show them the error of their ways." Ambrose said as a thought came to him. He stopped and looked at the academy. He looked around to make sure they were alone. "They need to see their mistake with their own eyes."_

 _"What are you thinking?" Bowan asked._

 _"The witches are studying magic they do not understand." Ambrose reasoned. "When you mettle with forces you do not understand, accidents can happen."_

 _"I see your point." Bowan replied with an understanding smile. "I think that can be arranged. Allow me to set things in motion. A small accident should suffice."_

 _Ambrose smiled and nodded. A tragic accident at the academy should tell every wizard in the world what he already knew. That this world belonged to them and no other race could ever replace them._

A bitter expression appeared on Ambrose's face. He had made a mistake trusting Bowan with such a task. It was never meant to happen like that. He never intended the chain reaction that would follow. However, intended or not, the destruction of the wizard race had given him the opportunity to rebuild the world in his image. This time, his blood would be royal.

Ambrose reached the Magic School camp and used an illusion to make himself invisible. A tall young man in a black robe walked past him while on the phone. Ambrose read his mind and learned his name was Ben, a friend of his son. He followed the young man into a tent.

"Yes, Arthur, the trident has already been moved to Magic School." The young man said. "It's perfectly safe. Alright, meet you back there."

"The trident of Neptune?" Ambrose noted as he made himself visible. "What could you possibly want with that?"

"Who are you?" Ben asked scared as he backed away.

"Hold it." Ambrose said as he raised his hand and forced Ben to stand still by manipulating his mind. "You're going to tell me everything I need to know."

Ben was forced to walk over to Ambrose, who held his hand to Ben's head. Images and voices flashed through Ambrose's mind as he extracted Ben's memories. Arthur had apparently traveled back in time and learned how to free the petrified wizards using Neptune's trident. That was all Ben knew, though Ambrose suspected there was more to the story. It could not be that simple.

"Are you going to kill me?" Ben asked nervously.

"Killing you would achieve nothing." Ambrose replied. "Instead, I'm going to have you to steal that trident for me. Then I might kill you, or give you to my daughter. She has some issues she needs to work out."

Ambrose waved his hand and Ben's eyes glowed pale blue as his mind was being altered. He would continue to be himself until he had the opportunity to steal the trident. Then Ambrose's commands would kick in. When the mind manipulation was done, Ambrose released Ben and he fell asleep on the floor. He would not remember a thing.

Ambrose turned himself invisible and left the tent. He knew he had to stop Arthur from freeing the wizards. The people of Atlantis would not accept his rule and there was also the risk of his involvement at the academy coming out. Ambrose still wanted Arthur to join him, but he would kill his son without hesitation if it meant finally achieving everything he desired.

Xxx

Later that evening, Billie and her friends arrived at the Cauldron. Everyone had dressed up and was looking forward a good time. Now that the club was open, it looked completely different. A band was performing on stage and people were dancing and having a good time. A hostess guided them to the VIP booth that had been reserved for them. They sat down and ordered their drinks.

"The music is really good." Arthur said.

"I don't really know a lot about jazz, but I agree." Violet said. "I like the design as well, hard to imagine you fought a poltergeist here."

"Let's just try to forget that little fact." Duncan said. "We came here to have fun, right?"

"I wouldn't mind trying out the dance floor in a bit." Nathan replied.

A waitress arrived with their drinks, followed by Brandon, who looked very sharp in a fancy suit. He looked more in his element running the club than he did fighting evil spirits. He introduced himself to Violet, Arthur and Nick before sitting down.

"Hey guys, thank you all for coming." Brandon said. "I know things got hectic last night, but I hope we can all move past it."

"Thanks for the invite." Billie replied. "And you helped save Darcy's life, so we're good."

"I wish she would have never gotten involved in the first place." Brandon said. "We should have stopped that thing before it could possess her."

"That wasn't your fault." Billie said. "From what I heard, she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"I know, but it is still dangerous to battle spirits with mortals nearby." Brandon said. "That is why I was finally able to convince my uncle to move our family business out of the club."

"So no more exorcisms here?" Duncan asked.

"No, my uncle and I came to an agreement." Brandon replied. "What happened with the mayor brought back unresolved issues, I guess. He knows I want to run the club instead of becoming a Witch Doctor, so we decided to separate the two."

"Sounds like a good deal." Billie said. "Congratulations."

"Thanks, I'll be glad to step away from the whole voodoo thing." Brandon said. "Although it's in my blood, it's never what I wanted."

"Cool, your club looks pretty great." Nick noted as he looked around. "Are you hiring?"

"Wait, you want to work here?" Billie asked surprised. "Where is this coming from?"

"I don't know, I've been doing some thinking." Nick replied. "I have to get my life in order at some point and school has never been my thing. I can see myself being a bartender."

"Do you have any experience?" Brandon asked.

"Not really, but I'm a quick study." Nick replied.

"Alright, let's start easy." Brandon said. "I have an opening for a busboy and you can work your way up from there."

"Cool, I appreciate it." Nick said as they shook hands.

"Look at you being all mature and responsible." Billie remarked with a smile.

Billie leaned him and gave him a kiss. She was impressed that Nick was getting a job and deciding to take things seriously. It made him even more attractive and it made her feel more confident about their future together. If she was being honest, there was always a part of her worried that he would go back to his old ways at some point.

"Nice work, bro." Nathan said as he padded his brother on the back. "I knew you had it in you."

"It looks like your other friends arrived." Brandon said suddenly.

Billie and the others looked up and saw Hope and Darcy heading their way. Billie was surprised to see them, as she figured Darcy would need some time to get over what happened. Brandon stood up to welcome them.

"Hey guys." Hope said.

"Thank you both for coming." Brandon said. "Darcy, words cannot describe how sorry I am for what happened to you. I hope you can forgive my uncle and me."

"I'm mostly just glad it's over." Darcy replied. "And I know you saved my life, so there is nothing to forgive. That thing was drawn to me because of my anger, which is part of why I am here."

"Oh crap." Nick remarked quietly.

"I'm here to talk to Billie and Nick." Darcy said as she turned to them. "Look, I'm still hurt by what you did, but this experience taught me that I can't let that negativity control me. Besides, Billie, you did help saving my life."

"What are you saying, Darcy?" Billie asked.

"I'm saying that I want to move past this." Darcy replied. "I'm not ready to forgive you or be friends again just yet, but I'm willing to try."

"That means a lot, thank you." Billie said.

"Now I could really use a drink." Darcy noted.

"I think that can be arranged." Brandon said with a smile. "Follow me to the bar and we'll see what we can do."

"Sounds good." Darcy replied.

Brandon extended his arm and Darcy accepted it with a flirty smile. They headed to the bar and disappeared among the crowd. Billie smirked at the notable attraction between them. She was glad that things were alright between them and hoped Darcy would find someone to make her happy.

"Well, she won't be back for a while." Hope said. "Anyone care to join me on the dancefloor?"

Nathan nudged Duncan and they both got up to join her, while Arthur stood up and extended his hand to Violet. She hesitated for a moment, but then smiled and accepted. Billie wanted to get up as well, but Nick put a hand on her leg. Once the others were gone, Nick moved closer and placed an arm around her.

"I wanted some private time." Nick said.

"Sounds good to me." Billie replied as she leaned in for a kiss.

Xxx

That same moment, Mayor Amanda Freeman sat in her office and stared blankly at the ruby amulet in her hand. She was always so sure that magic was the root of all her problems, that it was pure evil. Now she wasn't so sure anyone. It was still dangerous of course, but there was more to it. She felt conflicted about her past choices and the choices she still had to make. When a flash of orange light illuminated her office, she looked up and saw Edgar standing in front of her.

"I recognize that amulet." Edgar said.

"I took it from one of your people while looking for my sister." Amanda replied. "It's a painful reminder of what I've lost."

"I would have given it to you." Edgar said. "I would have done a lot of things different had I known the pain you were in."

"You should have told me the truth." Amanda said determined.

"I know." Edgar admitted. "It is one of the many regrets I live with after what happened to Candice."

"Don't talk about her." Amanda snapped at him.

"I'm sorry." Edgar replied. "Maybe coming was a mistake, maybe it is all too late."

"So why did you come?" Amanda asked.

"Because I never stopped loving you, Mandy." Edgar replied. "You don't have to bear this pain alone."

"It' too late for that, Edgar." Amanda said determined. "Get out before I call security."

Edgar looked hurt and took a step back. He wanted to say something, though he decided to remain silent and teleported away. Amanda turned her chair to face the window and wiped away a tear.

Xxx

The End


End file.
